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Setsuka
Setsuka (雪華) (Neve) is a character in the ''Soul'' series of fighting games. She debuted in Soulcalibur III, along with Tira and Zasalamel, and was introduced during the the official E3 teaser, in which she was referred to as The Resolute Avenger. Setsuka returned in Soulcalibur IV and Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny bearing the nickname A Storm of Deadly Cherry Blossoms. What lies in her soul is Devotion. Biography ''Soulcalibur III'' Setsuka was not a native of Japan. She had pale, milky-white skin, glossy brown hair, a chiseled face and hazel brown eyes. Those around her shunned her since she was young; she was looked with disdain because of her appearance. Without a family to turn to and exposed to such hate and violence, she finally ran away from her home. Young and alone, she wandered to a city where a man took her in, and named her Setsuka (Snow Flower). Her caretaker worked as a bodyguard in the region. He taught Setsuka the technique he used to protect his patrons, and it would eventually become the way she protected herself, but it was the joy she felt when he praised her that made her devote to the training. Time passed, and Setsuka grew into a beautiful woman. She learned to ignore those who still looked her with disdain, letting nothing trouble her. One day, her master entrusted her with a letter, whose destination was far away. It would take her many months to travel there and back. Her master saw her uneasy look, and reassured her that her home will be always there for her. Setsuka left and, after a long journey, found the man to whom the letter was addressed. The old martial artist ran a dojo in a small village, and asked Setsuka many times to stay and train there, but she refused his invitation and started her long way home. Upon her return, she found her master lying on the floor injured. Although he would not reveal how he received the wounds, she was certain that he lost a duel. The injuries he received would prevent him from wielding a sword ever again. But still, the man tried to behave as always, even if Setsuka couldn't hide her concern. His lessons become more strict and demanding, but he also showered her with overwhelming love, something new to her. Even if their modest lifestyle couldn't afford luxuries, he bought her an elegant long-sleeved kimono. As she blushed under the man's smile, her feelings for him grow stronger than ever. It was not fondness as a father nor reverence as her master. It would not be until after his death that she would come to recognize those feelings as love. Visiting his grave, she recalled the words he had spoken on his deathbed. .."I did not teach you this art for the purpose of revenge. ..One who lives by the sword harbors no regret." That fateful fight had been the most exciting moment of his life. He taught her his fighting style so she can carry on the art, as he wanted her to live freely, unbound of hate or fear. Before dying, he told her his enemy's name: Heishiro Mitsurugi. She shed no tears when her master died. Only later she realized her feelings and finally understand what it meant to fall in love. Her master didn't want her to live bound to feelings of revenge, but she was decided. With undying love in her heart, she went on a lone journey with a target in mind: a wandering swordsman who challenged swordsmen throughout the land, which no one saw him after he crossed the sea several years later in search of a swordsman named Nightmare. With few clues, she decided to track down Nightmare, believing it would lead her to Mitsurugi. ''Soulcalibur IV'' Setsuka continued her search for Mitsurugi, encountering no problems in picking up his trail, as he had been through many towns questioning the residents about Nightmare. People warned Setsuka that he was too powerful for anyone to battle, telling her that he had emerged from countless wars victorious. These stories about Mitsurugi did not frighten Setsuka. It was all the better for her. Once she found him, she planned to rise to his challenge. She wondered if she was strong enough. Setsuka never knew if she even surpassed her deceased master. By learning to have faith in herself, she resolved to become stronger, practicing constantly. Every time she slashed her sword, she felt her pace quicken. Setsuka hoped to obtain the excellent speed that her master had. ''Soulcalibur V After her fight with Mitsurugi, Setsuka understood how mistaken she was to pursue revenge. She took up the name Neve and travelled to Istanbul where she became a self-defense teacher to orphaned children. She also taught Patroklos her fighting style during this period and told him that he must not indulge revenge in his heart as she did, advice that ultimately went ignored. Personality Setsuka's only goal is revenge. She seems to harbor hatred due to her traumatic childhood and the death of her master at the hands of Mitsurugi. Although she knows very well that revenge wouldn't make anyone happy, including herself, her sense of justice won't allow her to forgive his murderer, even if it means going against her master's last wishes. She shows little or no care at all to her opponents. She is strongly devoted to her master, and dead set on her goal of revenge. However, this is not to say that she is evil. She is capable of showing some degree of kindness, as evidenced when she spared Algol's life after defeating him, letting him decide his own path in the world. Overall, she is considered a neutrally-aligned character. Endings ''Soulcalibur III Rejecting Soul Edge, Setsuka sees a woman about to stab a man from behind. Setsuka queries her motives, before she deflects an attack from the woman, knocking the weapon to the floor: No Input Ending Setsuka acknowledges the fact the woman is killing for revenge and comments "If that will make you happy, then I won't stop you" leaving her to proceed. ' ' Input Ending Setsuka will kick the knife away and tell her revenge is pointless, before walking away with her. The same woman is featured in Mitsurugi's ending, where she is taken hostage by a samurai Mitsurugi is about to kill. The man she was about to kill is the same samurai who took her hostage. This may imply that this ending takes place after Mitsurugi's. ''Soulcalibur IV'' Setsuka stands victorious over the fallen king, Algol. Then Soul Edge and Soul Calibur fall near her feet. "So they vanished," Setsuka comments. Algol then asks her why is she hesitating, for he does not need her mercy. Setsuka merely shows Algol her blade, stating that her weapon "is weeping" and does not want to become an instrument of hatred. Setsuka points her blade at Algol's throat, stating that she has put an end to what he was, and what he has become. She then turns her back to him as she sheathes her weapon and opens her umbrella, walking slowly away. As she leaves, she tells Algol that whatever he makes of his life from there on is up to him. A text-only epilogue reveals that in a secluded grave in Japan where snow silently fell, an umbrella has been laid in memorial, suggesting that Setsuka has finally found peace and moved on, letting go of her thirst for vengeance. Fighting Style Setsuka has a lot of lightning fast attacks and combos that overwhelm the opponent. She can close in and attack from long distances with top speed despite her blade's short length. Her Just Frame attacks are damaging but require precise timing and patience. When her attacks are counted as Counter Hits, they can be followed by more damaging assaults, sometimes leaving the opponent hard to recover. Her combos are stylish and damaging, even some of them can reduce almost half of the opponent's life bar on a single combo, if uninterrupted. Setsuka can also perform damaging wall combos when the opponent is cornered. Her throws are very damaging and some of them can start a combo. Mastering Setsuka takes dedication, precision, patience, and persistence. However, inexperienced players criticize her as difficult to master, as her moves are difficult to execute properly and her low attacks are weak and can be easily evaded. Ever since Soulcalibur III, Setsuka is regarded by the tournament community as a high to top-tier character and she is commonly used in the tournaments. In Soulcalibur V, a variant of Setsuka's fighting style is used by α Patroklos. Critical Finish Divine Shadow Strike: Setsuka sprints forward and swings a devastatingly fast blow at her opponent. The screen goes black, and a gray line slashes to the left. Then, the screen splits vertically, showing her several yards behind her opponent. She says "You won't even know what hit you". Then the opponent falls as she sheaths her sword and then says "Yet another opponent unworthy of my blade!" as cherry blossoms fall around her. Weapons *Ugetsu Kageuchi *Ridicule (2P Ugetsu Kageuchi in SCIV but with a new parasol) *Sword Umbrella *Suitou (2P Ugetsu Kageuchi in SCIII) *Yakou (Moonlight in SCIII) *Shiranamigasumi *Ugetsu Shinuchi *Soul Calibur *Broken Bamboo Sword *Lizard Umbrella *The Ancient Stages * Jyurakudai Villa (SC3) * Jyurakudai Villa - Virgin Snow (SC4) * Jyurakudai Villa - Twill Damask and Brocade (SCBD) Theme Music Soulcalibur III * "Ephemeral Dream" Soulcalibur IV * "Innocent Vision" Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny *"Innocent Vision" Tower Of Lost Souls Skills & Details Setsuka appears in a couple of floors in Tower Of Lost Souls Ascend mode as an average or difficult opponent to defeat such as "No Man's Land" "Unfalling Tower" "Unseen Sickle" & "Envoy Of Destruction" TOLS Ascend Mode: No Man's Land, Unfalling Tower, Unseen Sickle & Envoy Of Destruction Partners: Ryouga (No Man's Land Floor 19) Siegfried, Yun-Seong & Rock (Unfalling Tower Floor 31) Hilde & Zasalamel (Unseen Sickle Floor 49) Mitsurugi & Cervantes (Envoy Of Destruction Floor 58) Skills On No Man's Land 1.Auto Impact A 2.Impact Heal 3.Auto Grapple Break A Skills On Unfalling Tower 1.HP Recovery B 2.Auto Impact B 3.Soul Gauge Boost B Skills On Unseen Sickle 1.Invisible S 2.Soul Gauge Boost C 3.Nullify Ring Out A Skills On Envoy Of Destruction 1.Auto Unblockable Attack A 2.Soul Gauge Damage A 3.Soul Gauge Boost A Default Skills 1.Skill Ability Up 2.Impact Edge 3.Venom Fang B Quotes ''Soulcalibur III'' *''Why do you stand in my way?'' *''Don't even dare think... that this will be easy.'' *''Don't expect any pity.'' *''If it's a fight you want... You shall have it.'' *''Let's see what you can do.'' *''I guess you don't care if you live.'' *''This had be better be worth my time.'' *''So you really wanna die, don't you?'' *''My life... is not yours for the taking.'' *''This will take but a moment.'' *''Are you fast enough to avoid my blade?'' *''Let's find out who's stronger.'' *''Stand up. I will cut you down as many times as you wish.'' *''At least end your life fighting with honor.'' *''No matter what, I must survive!'' *''Curse your weakness.'' *''Fear me, for I am a demon.'' *''My blade never hesitates!'' *''Ugh... you coward!'' *''I have no need, for something like this.'' *''I won't ask your reasons, but you should cast away your sword.'' *''Long ago, I shared the same lust for vengeance as you do now.'' *''But that will not make anyone happy, including yourself.'' *''What do you intend to do with that?'' *''What are you intending to do with that?'' *''So it's revenge.'' *''If that will make you happy, then I won't stop you.'' *''Too slow!'' *''Get ready!'' *''Issen!'' *''Die!'' *''One!'' *''Two!'' *''Three!'' *''Zan!'' *''End of the line!'' *''Scatter and die!'' *''Let madness take you!'' *''...and die!'' *''Wither and die!'' *''Realize your doom!'' *''This is ridiculous.'' *''I wasn't strong enough'' *''I don't question your motives.... so don't question mine.'' *''My master must be avenged.'' ''Soulcalibur IV'' *''At least end your life, fighting with honor.'' *''It will be over before you know it.'' *''Then I have no choice but to draw my sword.'' *''I live only for revenge.'' *''Why do you stand in my way?'' *''I will not hesitate.Die!'' *''The battle will be decided in an instant!'' *''I cannot let you win this battle.'' *''You shall feel the wrath of my master's blade!'' *''I swear on my blade, I fear nothing!'' *''It's time to finish this!'' *''You don't even know what hit you.'' *''Yet another opponent unworthy of my blade.'' *''Accept death with dignity.'' *''The battle was decided before I even drew my blade.'' - Spoken after winning a battle with a perfect *''You don't even have time to blink!'' *''Let the wounds from my blade bring your demise.'' *''That was close. I still have a lot to learn.'' - Spoken after winning a battle with low HP *''You deserve no mercy.'' *''A man consumed with his sword, cannot defeat me.'' *''My blade has reached perfection.'' *''Such a fragile flower. So short lived.'' *''Drops of blood fall from my blade like cherry blossoms.'' *''So they vanished.'' *''This sword, it is weeping.'' *''It does not want to be turned into a blade of hatred.'' *''That's why I put an end to what you were, what you have become.'' *''What you do from here,...'' *''...is up to you to decide.'' *''Give up and die!'' *''Be gone!'' *''Bloom...'' *''... And fall!!'' *''Depart!!'' *''End of the line!'' *''This is it!'' *''Accept, your doom!'' *''Heh, this is ridiculous.'' *''Wither and die!'' *''Just give up!'' *''...and die!!'' *''Can't dodge this!'' *''That's it!'' *''Now it ends!'' *''Farewell!'' *''Die!'' *''Scatter!'' *''Die now!'' *''One!!'' *''Two!!'' *''Three!!'' *''Disappear'' *''I wasn't strong enough.'' Trivia General *Setsuka has one of the fastest fighting styles in the franchise. *Since she's not born but raised in Japan, some fans suggest that Setsuka is of European or more specifically of English origin based on her alternate outfit in Soulcalibur IV, which some fans dubbed her "Mary Poppins" outfit. Because the Portuguese arrived in Japan as the first European traders in 1543 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_of_Portugal#Portuguese_arrival_in_Japan, it is also possible that Setsuka has roots in Portugal. The name she gave herself, Neve, means 'Snow' in Portuguese or "radiant" in English/ Irish language. Neve is the Anglicised form of Niamh a irish feminine given-name which pronounced just like the Anglicised version of it. Her look p''ost-Soulcalibur IV'' further increases the possibility of her being from Portugal, Ireland or somewhere in Great Britain. Her blonde hair makes it likely that she is from northern Europe as blonde hair would be uncommon or even non-existent in other parts of Europe and the world at the time period the Soul series is set in. It is known however, that Project Soul is not aiming for a realistic approach to character design. *Setsuka's appearance and concept seem to be largely based on Shurayuki Hime (English title: "Lady Snowblood"), a Japanese manga/movie heroine who also wields a blade hidden in an umbrella, seeking revenge for her mother. Also, Setsuka's Soulcalibur IV 1P costume bears a striking resemblance to the character Ochō Inoshika from the 1973 sexploitation revenge features Furyō Anegoden: Inoshika Ochō (English Title: "Sex & Fury") and Yasagure Anegoden: Sôkatsu Rinchi (English Title: "Female Yakuza Tale"). She, too, hides blades in her umbrella and exposes her right arm and shoulder from her kimono sleeve in order to maximize freedom of sword-arm movement. *Strangely, Setsuka's eye color changes in the games. During Soulcalibur III, Setsuka was introduced to having hazel brown eyes, but since Soulcalibur IV, her eyes have changed to blue. **Probably the reason why Setsuka has a change in both eye and hair color was to give her a more Western facial appearance. *Rather interestingly, Setsuka doesn't change her English Death Cry by the time she appears in Soulcalibur IV. While almost every character has their Death Cry from Soulcalibur III, Setsuka's is an oddity due to the fact that she changed voice actors from Kari Wahlgren to Tara Platt in Soulcalibur IV. She's the only character with this oddity. ''Soulcalibur III'' *During the development, Setsuka's render reportedly had to be retouched several times by a neighboring Tekken ''artist because her eyes looked awkward in the original render.http://soularchive.jp/SC3/wat12e.htm *According to one of her designers, Setsuka's outfit was designed to have a "Queen of Hearts" theme, even with her hair.http://soularchive.jp/SC3/wat02e.htm *Setsuka's kimono is decorated with griffins, creatures most common in ancient Greek mythology and represented Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Go-Hi/Griffins.html. The griffins however, are non-existent in Japanese or even East-Asian mythology. This further adds to Setsuka's East-meets-West theme and could possibly hint at her real origin being from Europe. ''Soulcalibur IV *In Chain of Souls, she is shown to be Mitsurugi's enemy since the latter killed her master. *Setsuka's arm tattoo and kimono from shows a nine-tailed fox (九尾の狐, kyūbi no kitsune), a common figure in Japanese mythology. In Hokusai's depiction of the story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-tailed_fox, a samurai called Sakabe Yukitsuna (坂部行綱) with no children picked up an abandoned baby girl mizukume (藻女, "girl of algae") which was actually a nine-tailed fox's transformed spirit, and raised her. This is reminiscent of Setsuka's storyline as she herself was picked up at a young age and raised by her master. *Setsuka, Raphael and Yoshimitsu are the only characters that have a new fighting stance. ''Soulcalibur V'' *In the gap between Soulcalibur IV and Soulcalibur V ''she lost to Mitsurugi in a fight and became Patroklos' mentor. However, despite the fact that she passed on her style to him, she never appears in the Story Mode. **Coincidentally, Setsuka's current voice actress (Tara Platt) is married to Patroklos' voice actor (Yuri Lowenthal). *Setsuka is one of two predecessors who has a successor that is not related to them by blood. The other is Taki, whose successor is Natsu. [[Soulcalibur: Lost Swords|''Soulcalibur: Lost Swords]] * Setsuka's 2P costume from Soulcalibur IV, "Snow Drop", was available for a limited time. Relationships * Seeks revenge against Heishiro Mitsurugi for the death of her master ever since Soulcalibur III. She later shattered his sword in a duel after Soulcalibur IV. * Can possibly travel alongside a created character in Soulcalibur IV, she then leaves for personal goals after finishing the 2nd stage during his or her Story Mode. * Taught Patroklos Alexander her fighting style sometime before the events of Soulcalibur V. Etymology Setsuka (雪華) means "Snow Flower" in Japanese. Neve means "Snow" in Portuguese and Italian. It also means "bright" and "radiant" in Irish. Series' Appearances * Soulcalibur III * Soulcalibur IV (Unlockable character, can be bought in Character Creation mode for 4000 gold) * Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny Costumes In her debut appearance, the designers of Soulcalibur III intended to present Setsuka as an unique woman reminiscent of a flower by emphasizing the shape of her silhouette and her glamorous kimono.Behind the Game: Soulcalibur III from 1UP.com Her first costume also includes direct references to the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, to represent her Western origin and Eastern upbringing. In all of Setsuka’s incarnations, she has been depicted as wearing a kimono or a similar robe. Her first design, as seen in Soulcalibur III, was similar to the Japanese courtesans known as Oiran, who wore cosmetics and clothing similar to geisha but tied their sashes in the front of their belts instead of wearing a backwards obi. This similarity was referenced in one of Setsuka’s kicks, “Oiran kick”. Gallery ''Soulcalibur III'' Image:Setsuka-soul3-2.jpg Image:Concept12SETSUKASCIII.jpg|1P costume art Image:Concept13SETSUKASCIII.jpg|2P costume art Image:Set1024b.jpg Image:600px-Portrait-Setsuka.jpg sets005a_beforeafter.jpg|Setsuka's render before and after retouching File:T_soulcalibur3_vr_gt_0005.jpg soulcalibur307.jpg soulcalibur321.jpg soulcalibur368.jpg Setsuka SClll icon.png|Screen icon Setsuka.png|Setsuka chibi Setsuka (1P).jpg|Player 1 costume Setsuka (2P).jpg|Player 2 costume SC3 Setsuka EC1 Front.jpg|Edit Color 1 costume SC3 Setsuka EC1 Back.jpg SC3 Setsuka EC2 Front.jpg|Edit Color 2 costume SC3 Setsuka EC2 Back.jpg ''Soulcalibur IV'' Image:Sc4 pub ss setsuka2 080619 003.jpg|Alternate costume Image:-large--AnimePaper-scans_Soul-Calibur_ForHeisZombie(0.72)_THISRES_197066.jpg|1P costume art Image:Setsuka3.jpg|2P costume art Image:Setsuka2.jpg|2P costume art setsuka_render.PNG 501854.jpg File:T_sc4_ends4_raphael_amy_setsuka_gt_.jpg Setsuka1p 001.jpg|1P costume Setsuka2p 001.jpg|2P costume SetsukaTattoo.png|A close up of Setsuka's tattoo, probably depicting a nine-tailed fox (Kitsune) soulcalibur-iv-20080523095915332.jpg soulcalibur-iv-20080523095919332.jpg soulcalibur-iv-20080523095929519.jpg soulcalibur-iv-20080523095931597.jpg ''Soulcalibur:Broken Destiny'' setsuka-soulcalibur-broken-destiny-character-artwork.jpg File:Scbd_pcwp_setsuka_1024x768.jpg Setsuka Broken Destiny.jpg|Gauntlet pic 1 Setsuka02 Broken Destiny.jpg|Gauntlet pic 2 Soul-Calibur-Broken-Destiny-Setsuka-Render-Game-Art-Work.jpg Soulcalibur V Soul Calibur New Legends Of Project Soul 103.JPG Soul Calibur New Legends Of Project Soul 154.JPG ''Universal Fighting System'' SC1P04.jpg| 86 (1).jpg| 87 (1).jpg| FOB046.jpg| tss066.jpg| tss065.jpg| TSS064.jpg| tss071.jpg| tss072.jpg| TSS070.jpg| 069.jpg| 147236.jpg| TSS062.jpg| TSS059.jpg| TSS060.jpg| TSS061.jpg| TSS063.jpg| TSS057.jpg| TSS068.jpg| References Category:Soul series characters Category:Female video game characters Category:Fictional orphans Category:Fictional adoptees Category:Fictional kenjutsuka Category:Fictional martial arts trainers Category:Fictional women soldiers and warriors Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2005